Ugh! He was so frustrating; my brain was about to explode. “Never in my life,” I said through clenched teeth.
The amusement displayed on Tay's face made it obvious he was enjoying this.
“Technically…” he said, rubbing his chin like he was having a long, hard think. “You're dead.”
Screw what Mr Aleksandrov said. I leapt off the couch and ran at Tay. My fist was clenched and it flew out in front of me. I felt like I was being controlled by something else. It was a punch that would normally hurt a human but Tay caught in his hand, making me look like a weak child. He spun me around, pressing my back to his torso. I struggled but couldn't get free.
“Let me go.”
“Not until you say sorry.” I could hear the smile playing upon his lips.
Just say it, my body yelled at me. As I was about to betray my pride and actually say sorry to Tay, there was a knock at the door.
“Saved by the bell.” He whispered into my ear.
He strode over to the door and answered it. In stepped a woman, her long mahogany hair bounced with every step she took. Her attire was white, making her look even more heavenly. Even with the subtle lines of aging that played upon her face, she was breathtakingly pretty.
“Hi, you must be Ruby.” She extended her hand to me.
Her voice was light, so light that if we were outside I’m sure it would have blown away in the wind.
I hesitated before taking her hand. No one who knew I was a vampire had voluntarily wanted to come into contact with me, except Mr Aleksandrov.
“I'm Lillian, your theory teacher.”
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the scent that followed her inside. It was greater and sweeter than the smell of guardian angel blood. I still hadn’t eaten and the blood coursing through Lillian and Tay’s veins was intoxicating. Finally, I shook her hand.
“Shall we get started?” she asked, gesturing to the couches and piles of books on the coffee table.
I nodded and we sat down.
Two hours had passed and Lillian finally finished the introduction to all of the classes. I admit it, I was bored. If there was one state I hated more than being hungry, it was being bored.
“That’s just the introductions, tomorrow we’ll delve into the first chapter, spending half an hour on each subject.”
“Great.”
She seemed oblivious to my sarcastic response. “See you tomorrow.”
She left the room and I sat inhaling as much of her scent as I could before it all wafted out of the cabin. Soon after, when her smell died down, it was replaced with the sweet blood of a guardian angel.
“She’s a goddess?”
“Oh, now you want to talk?” He smirked, sitting back into the couch.
“Oh now you want to talk?” I copied in a mocking tone. “Is she a goddess?”
“Why? Do you want to drain her and become stronger?”
My eyes fell to the floor. I wasn’t used to being attacked for being a vampire.
“Yes, she is. Lunch will be here for you soon.”
Lunch? I haven’t even had breakfast. I nodded in response. My throat burned at the thought of blood once again.
“What did Mr Aleksandrov mean when he said it’s forbidden to be with a Guardian Angel?” I asked, ignoring Tay's lunch announcement and hoping to take my mind off my burning desire for his blood.
Tay eyed me suspiciously. “Are you hot for De Luca?”
“Who?”
“Eli.”
I wanted to ask Tay to define the term ‘hot’ but I decided it probably wasn’t a very good idea. Eli’s blood wasn’t the only delicious thing about him. His skin was a nice tan and totally kissable, his eyes were a deep green, like moss on a rock by a pond, and his face was perfect, literally sculpted by angels.
“What? No! I'm just asking why it’s forbidden,” I stated, forcing my mind off the forbidden fruit that was Eli De Luca.
“Guardian angels can only be with guardian angels.”
“Why?”
Tay shrugged. “It’s just the way it is.”
“What about goddesses?”
“Untouchable by guardians; they marry their own kind or they die alone. Goddesses hold such purity they make the snow fall in winter and the flowers blossom in spring. Humans call it Mother Nature and rely on scientific reasons as to why the seasons and the weather change.” Tay shook his head. “No, it’s the goddesses that make all the beauty in this world.”
“Has a guardian ever fallen in love with a goddess?” I asked curiously.
“Yep, plenty of times… but they aren't here anymore; the higher power strips them of their magic and forces them to live amongst the humans. Many of them become vampire to get a sense of power again.”
I stared at him, confusion dominating my facial features. It just didn’t make sense to me.
“But guardian angels and goddesses are both pure…”
“Yes, but the purity levels are different. A guardian angel isn't pure enough to be with a goddess or god. Gods can be with goddesses, which are male versions of you; the purity level is basically the same,” he explained.
Suddenly, Tay didn't seem so obnoxious and I felt like maybe we could actually be civil to each other.
“But you don't have to worry about that, for now at least. You’re the devil, pretty much. It's disgusting.”
There went that thought. “You’re so annoying.”
Tay opened his mouth, no doubt to say another smart ass comment, but his words never came out. His phone rang, interrupting whatever it was that he was going to say.“Mr Aleksandrov,” he answered. “Yes, the classes were fine… Okay.” He hung up and slid his phone into the front pocket of his jeans. “I have to go.”
I was going to ask him why but then I realised I didn't actually care.
Being stuck in this cabin was great at first, but with every minute that passed, it became more and more intolerable; there was nothing to do. No videogames, no magazines, no novels, only boring textbooks. I grew hungrier and hungrier by the second. I jumped as two loud knocks thundered through the wood on the front door.
“Come in.”
The lock jerked, rattled, and the door opened. It was Eli; my stomach fluttered a little as I met his deep green eyes. The moment of slight joy didn’t last long as the dazed woman from the underground holding cell drunkenly stumbled in after him. The sympathetic expression that filled Eli’s face told me he’d noticed my frozen features.
“What is she doing here?” I asked slowly.
“Do you want the good news or the bad news?” he said, escorting the woman over to the couch, opposite to where I was standing.
He stood next to her; I ignored his question and eyed them cautiously. It was getting harder and harder to hold back the hunger that was burning inside me. I couldn’t help but wonder if starving me would make me more inclined to drink from the human.
“The good news is Gwydion, the wizard that’s going to transform you, will be here any minute. The bad news is you have to be full, which means she will be your meal,” he explained, pointing to the dazed lady, who was humming to herself.
I bit my lip nervously. It was all too much to take in. I started pacing rapidly; my breathing and my heartbeat began speeding up. I wanted to chew my nails but forced myself to keep my hands by my side.
“I… I can't do that,” I stuttered.
I wanted to, so badly.
“Yes, you can,” the woman cooed. “I want you to.” There was a look of extreme desperation in her eyes. I stared at her painfully, suddenly feeling ill, but at the same time my stomach and my fangs throbbed with longing to taste human blood directly from the source again.
“I’m here; I won’t let you hurt her.”
I met Eli’s eyes. They were so beautiful, captivating, intelligent and honest. I didn’t know him, but I felt like I could trust him. I walked over to the woman and she shivered in ecstasy as her body prepared itself for the bite. The woman presented her neck to me, she closed her eyes and a victorious smile stretched across her face.
Eli stood less than an inch away from me, the sweet smell that guardian angels have, that Eli had, poured in through my nose along with the human blood that radiated from the woman. My fangs shot out of my gums with a click. I leant down to her neck and pierced her flesh. She gasped in pain but immediately began to moan with pleasure. The sweet blood flowed into my mouth like a river that flowed down the rocks. For a few seconds I was lost in my need to quench the burning thirst in my throat. I watched as blood rolled off her neck, past my lips and down her back. My skin tingled as the warm blood entered my bloodstream and my fangs pulsated in time with her heart beat.
“You're done.” Eli placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed slightly.
Reluctantly I pulled away and headed straight to the bathroom. As I expected, there was blood smeared around my mouth. I turned on the tap and washed my face vigorously. Afterwards, I stared at my appearance. I could have sworn my eyes had grown darker and my skin was a little paler.
“Is everything okay?” an unknown male voice called through the door.
“Uh, fine,” I replied, stammering at the unfamiliarity in his voice.
I splashed water onto my face; still I could see and feel blood around my lips. More knocks rattled the bathroom door and I looked back at my face; it was clean.
“Ruby, do you need help?” Eli murmured, his voice was deep and it carried through the wood.
You can do this. I took deeper breaths as my chest grew heavier. It’s okay, don’t panic, change is good.
Cautiously I opened the door. I recognized everyone in the room except the old man sitting across from Mr Aleksandrov. The stranger was clearly older than Aleksandrov but his beard was shorter and whiter. My breathing became more rigid as all eyes fell on me.
“My, my,” said the older man. “You look just like your mother, except well, more vampiric.” His voice was kind and knowing, but despite his kind tone, I didn’t appreciate his observation nor did I acknowledge it.
“Ruby, this is Gwydion, the wizard that has come to help you.”
I suspected as much but the shock still hit me. “Wow, you’re here already.”
“When I heard that the daughter of Meredith Moore was a vampire, I cancelled all my errands and I jumped at the chance to help. Did you know that your mother saved me from an angry group of vampires once? I never got a chance to repay her, so here I am.”
He was very energetic and happy despite his rather large size. Gwydion turned to Mr Aleksandrov. “Do you mind if I test her life force?”
Aleksandrov nodded.
Gwydion, in his long deep purple robe, waddled over to me with his hands extended out in front of him. I shot a look at Eli and he nodded his head in reassurance.
“Give me your hands,” the wizard commanded.
His warm chubby fingers tightly gripped my hands. He shut his eyes and his face fell serious. A few seconds later he opened his eyes and smiled.
“Oh my dear, you are powerful. Just like your mother.”
“Why do people keep saying that? She wasn't that powerful. She couldn't even fight off a newborn vampire.”
Gwydion pulled his hands back, looking disgusted.
“That’s because your mother left our world behind and married a human! She went against the natural order and defied the higher power. Everyone knows that goddesses can only be with gods. If they don't marry gods, then they don't marry anyone; they will die alone until eventually their souls return to the one who created them. As a result her powers became weak. I respected your mother, until she broke faith and became a whore. Look how that turned out, look where that got you.”
I clenched my fists. I couldn't believe that a second ago he was praising my mother and now he was completely disrespecting her name. My hand went flying from my side and it didn’t stop until it came in contact with the wizard’s chubby face. My body met the cold hard floor and my wrists were bound by a long silver chain before I even had a chance to react to what I had done.
Familiar Faces
I howled in pain as my skin melted into the silver.
“Stop it,” Gwydion demanded.
It took all of my strength but somehow I was managing to keep my tears in check. Tay didn’t let up, he keep the silver wrapped around my wrists, squeezing tighter and tighter. Eli stepped forward and grabbed Tay firmly by the shoulder. It took a few seconds before Tay released me. As the silver peeled off, taking pieces of my skin with it, I cradled my burnt wrists and fought back the tears. The quietness in the room was unsettling as all eyes were on me. Gwydion took a few steps closer and I tensed, I was either going to get slapped back or he was going to turn me into a frog. Instead he watched curiously as my wrists started healing themselves.
“The devil’s magic,” Tay scoffed.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, ignoring Tay's close-minded statement. I wasn’t actually sorry, he was lucky that I didn’t kick him where the sun doesn’t shine.
“That's okay, it’s not you. It’s that vampire rage,” Gwydion stated, rubbing the throbbing red hand print on his cheek.
I didn't dignify him with a response. Anyone would have done the same thing. Who sits by silently whilst another person talks bad about a dead relative? No one; they aren’t here to defend themselves, someone has to do it for them.
Pride surged through my chest as the welt on his face became more prominent. He deserved it. I became increasingly tired, like I always did when I needed to heal.
“Are you ready?” Mr Aleksandrov asked Gwydion.